9-22-15
A DISTRICT JUDGE DETERMINED THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD WAS WRONG WHEN IT FOUND FORMER SUPERINTENDENT PAT COOPER VIOLATED STATE LAW FOR USING SCHOOL FUNDS TO HIRE A PRIVATE ATTORNEY. THAT WAS ONE OF THE CHARGES MADE BY THE SCHOOL BOARD WHEN THEY FIRED COOPER LAST NOVEMBER. YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WRONGFUL TERMINATION LAWSUIT FILED BY COOPER AGAINST THE SCHOOL BOARD. JUDGE PATRICK MICHOT DID HAND COOPER’S TEAM A SETBACK WHEN HE DETERMINED THEY COULDN’T CALL THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT AND TWO STATE LEGISLATORS TO THE STAND TO TESTIFY ABOUT LOUISIANA’S ACT ONE LAW.
THE STATE BOND COMMISSION APPROVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WILL GO TO CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THAT INCLUDES 700 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR RESTORING PART OF MAPLEWOOD DRIVE IN SULPHUR. MAYOR CHRIS DUNCAN SAYS IT WILL COST SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS TO REHABILITATE THE ENTIRE ROADWAY, SO IT WILL BE DONE IN PHASES. 400 THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS APPROVED FOR REPAVING THE PARKING LOT AT SOWELA TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN LAKE CHARLES AND THE SCHOOL RECEIVED FOUR MILLION DOLLARS IN PRIORITY FIVE FUNDING.
A COUNTRY SINGER FROM ACADIANA WILL BE MAKING AN APPEARANCE ON THE NBC SHOW, “THE VOICE”. JAMES DUPRE IS A NATIVE OF BAYOU CHICOT IN EVANGELINE PARISH, BUT HAS SINCE MOVED TO NASHVILLE. DUPRE ANNOUNCED ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE THAT HE AUDITIONED ON THE SHOW, THOUGH HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT NIGHT HE WILL BE ON. FOUR OTHER NATIVES FROM THE ACADIANA AREA HAVE COMPETED ON THE VOICE, INCLUDING KORYN HAWTHORNE OF ABBEVILLE, WHO FINISHED FOURTH LAST YEAR.
BOTH CANDIDATES FOR LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH PRESIDENT TOOK SHOTS AT EACH OTHER OVER THEIR ABILITIES TO LEAD AT A DEBATE LAST NIGHT SPONSORED BY THE ACADIANA PRESS CLUB. DEE STANLEY TOUTED HIS EXPERIENCE AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT AND LINKED STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOEL ROBIDEAUX TO THE DISFUNCTION IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE. ROBIDEAUX SAID HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE LEGISLATURE WILL HELP HIM BRING MORE STATE DOLLARS TO LAFAYETTE. ROBIDEAUX WAS CRITICAL OF OUT-GOING CITY PARISH PRESIDENT JOEY DUREL’S ADMINISTRATION FOR NOT GOING TO BATON ROUGE MORE OFTEN TO LOBBY LEGISLATORS.
THERE WAS AN OVERFLOW CROWD IN ATTENDANCE LAST NIGHT AT THE CITY OF SULPHUR’S LAND AND USE COMMISSION MEETING. MOST WERE THERE TO OPPOSE A PROPOSED MOBILE HOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO PUT 190 UNITS ON FORTY ACRES NORTH OF THE FORMER CAL-CAM FAIRGROUNDS ON LEWIS STREET. THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DENYING THE DEVELOPER’S REQUEST THAT THE CITY ANNEX THE PROPERTY AND PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR THE SUBDIVISION. THE DEVELOPER CAN APPEAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
AFTER A HEARING MONDAY MORNING, A CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR OF GRAND COTEAU, PATRICK RICHARD, WAS DISQUALIFIED FROM THE RACE. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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State police say a 50-year-old Marksville woman running on Louisiana Highway 1192 died after being hit by a car. Master Trooper Scott Moreau said in a news release that Annette B. Smith died Monday afternoon after she was hit by a westbound 2011 Nissan Frontier driven by 33-year-old Dane R. Flook, of Hessmer. Moreau says Flook, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation.
A federal agency has approved construction of a project that will supply natural gas to the Cameron LNG export facility in southwest Louisiana. The Advocate reports the announcement of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval was made by Columbia Pipeline Group Inc. and Columbia Pipeline Partners LP.
Their subsidiary, Columbia Gulf Transmission LLC, will supply the Appalachian natural gas to the facility. Construction is expected to begin in the spring, with service starting during first-quarter 2018.
